reticulate appearance to the dark-brown
patches which ornament the surface of the wall.

3. LYCOGALA EPIDENDRUM, Buxb. AEthalia subglobose, gregarious, sometimes
closely crowded and irregular, the surface umber, brown or olivaceous,
minutely warted, at length, irregularly dehiscent at or about the apex.
The wall thick, the brown vesicles loosely aggregated and densely
agglutinated together, traversed in all directions by the much-branched
tubules, which send long-branched extremities inward among the spores;
the main branches thick and flat, with wide expansions, especially at
the angles, the ultimate branchlets more slender and obtuse at the apex.
Spores in the mass from pale to reddish ochre, globose, minutely warted,
5-6 mic. in diameter. See Plate III, Fig. 7.

Growing on old wood. AEthalium 5-12 mm. in diameter, the width of the
tubules varying from 12-25 mic. in the main branches, with broader
expansions at the angles, to 6-12 mic. in the more slender final
branchlets. This is one of the most common of the Myxomycetes; it grows
in all countries, and in this region may be found on old trunks at all
seasons of the year.

4. LYCOGALA FLAVOFUSCUM, Ehr. AEthalia large, subglobose or somewhat
pulvinate, solitary or gregarious, the surface at first silvery-shining,
becoming yellow-brown, minutely areolate, irregularly dehiscent. The
wall very thick and firm, hard and rigid; the thick outer layer of
roundish brown vesicles closely compacted in numerous strata; from the
vesicles of the lower strata the long and broad much-branched tubules
proceed into the interior among the spores; the ultimate branchlets
clavate and obtuse at the apex. Spores in the mass pale ochre, cinerous
or brownish, globose, minutely warted, 5-6 mic. in diameter. See Plate
III, Figs. 8, 9.

Growing on old trunks. AEthalium 1 to several centimeters in diameter,
the width of the tubules varying from 25-60 mic. in the main branches,
with sometimes much broader expansions at the angles, to 10-25 mic. in
the ultimate branchlets. The brown vesicles of the outer wall are easily
separated from each other and emptied of their contents by maceration;
it is then seen that a thin pellucid membrane incloses numerous roundish
granules, much resembling the spores, but usually a little larger, 5-8
mic. in diameter.

ORDER II.--RETICULARIACEAE.

Sporangia simple, regular and stipitate, or compound, forming an
aethalium; the wall a thin membrane with di